The present invention relates to controlling model vehicles, and in particular to methods for obtaining the ID of model trains.
A variety of control systems are used to control model trains. In one system, the power to the track is increased, or decreased, to control the speed and direction of the train. Multiple trains can be controlled by providing different power levels to the different sections of the track having different trains (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,522). In another system, a coded signal is sent along the track, and addressed to the desired train, giving it a speed and direction. The train itself controls its speed by converting the AC voltage on the track into the desired DC motor voltage for the train according to the received instructions. The instructions can also tell the train to turn on or off its lights, horns, etc. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,749,547 and 5,638,522 issued to Neil Young et al. show such a system. The instructions, or commands, have a particular format for a particular model train manufacturer. Trains already in customer's hands are designed to respond to only that format, limiting the options for future expansion.
The arrival of a train on a section of track can be detected in some systems, such as by detecting the load on the current applied to the track, and can be used to activate certain elements connected to the track, such as a switch or a stoplight (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,290).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,196 shows a system with a unique bar code on the bottom of each train car, with detectors mounted in the track below. This allows a determination of which car is over the sensor, and which cars have been assembled in a train. U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,789 shows a system with sensors in the track for detecting the position and velocity of a passing train. U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,389 describes a bar-code indicia in the windshield of a car, invisible to humans, but readable by an IR laser. IR IDs readable by scanners are common for bar coding products, access cards, and other uses.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,480,766 contains a discussion of different systems, including satellite Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for determining the location of a particular full sized (not model) train. U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,411 shows a train which detects position indicators along the side of a track, and provides these to an onboard computer for determining the position, speed, etc. of the train.
Many model train systems include a remote control for controlling different train engines on the track, as well as for controlling accessories. The remote control normally sends commands either wirelessly or through a base device connected to the tracks. The command will include an address, which the user typically has to key in before or after hitting the command button. Each engine sees the transmissions, either wirelessly, or by picking up signals sent along the tracks. Each engine will only respond to commands with the address of that engine.